Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 12, 2016

Note: Care has been taken not to post any out and out spoilers, but discussing a series as far along as this one now is means that many plot points need to be at least alluded to. Since some viewers may not yet be acquainted with various elements of either this or even prior seasons, anyone even slightly concerned about having a major secret revealed is encouraged to skip down to the technical portions of the review, below.

There’s a moment fairly early in the fifth season of Game of Thrones where a so-called Unsullied rests in the arms of a “working woman” (since he probably can’t avail himself of the typical blandishments of the woman’s offerings), at which point the poor, unfortunate soul suddenly meets his fate in a rather gruesome and graphic manner. It’s a perhaps subliminal warning to longtime fans of this global phenomenon to never get too comfortable, for you can never be sure what those adapting George R.R. Martin’s epochal novels may have in store, especially with regard to who lives and who dies at any given moment. There may however be an upside to the attrition of deaths that have tended to define some of this series' more memorable sequences, for it at least tends to winnow Game of Thrones' at times ungainly cast of characters. Game of Thrones appropriately novelistic approach toward adapting Martin's epic achievement continues unabated in this fifth season, and most fans who have become entranced in the mystical but often viscerally violent world depicted in the series will find plenty of intrigue and drama as a number of percolating plot points are brought to a full boil. Newcomers to Game of Thrones will probably find it better to "start at the very beginning" (so to speak), and for those folks or for others wanting to remind themselves of the many plot strands at play in this dense work, I refer you to my colleague Ken Brown's excellent reviews of previous seasons:

Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season Blu-ray review

Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray review

Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray review

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray review

There’s been some angst among longtime fans of both George R.R. Martin’s original series of novels and the television adaptation that Martin’s unhurried writing regimen may mean that the series will ultimately “outpace” Martin’s source tomes, which in fact begins to happen this season (which is not say previous seasons haven’t at least temporarily strayed from “canon” at times). This season starts out with a flashback, which the commentary included on the Blu-ray set mentions is the first such event in the show’s history. While the commentators make much out of the supposed point that the two little girls depicted in the sequence are not identified and will therefore be a “mystery” to viewers, in truth it’s not too difficult to figure out whose childhood is being portrayed.

That look backward then segues directly into the roiling dysfunctions surrounding the Lannister siblings Cersei (Lena Headey), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) in the wake of the “death” of Tywin (Charles Dance). The incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jaime continues to inform the series in some discomfiting ways, including worries about their offspring. Tyrion’s arc is initially played at least a bit for laughs, as he finds himself sequestered in a rather luxe island hideaway after having been forced to get there in a small crate with holes punched in the side. Meanwhile Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) is attempting to reason with Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds), unsurprisingly to no avail. Game of Thrones’ sometimes gruesome dispatching of various characters continues unabated with a squirm worthy climax to this season’s opening episode, where the doleful Snow is forced to do what he considers the right thing, despite its horrifying consequences.

What impresses repeatedly this season, and which is perhaps hinted at subliminally in that opening flashback, is that the writers, perhaps sensing an upcoming “divorce” from Martin’s tomes, are playing a long hand here, offering extended timelines where seeds planted early don’t necessarily pay off all that quickly. In fact Cersei’s convoluted tale provides a bookend of sorts this sesaon, with the character’s supposed cunning as evidenced early in the season (not to mention prior years) reaping some unexpected “dividends” later on (including a devastating sequence in the season’s final episode that speaks to Headey’s courage as an actress). But over and over again this season, individual episodes offer sometimes brief but visceral scenes that offer long delayed payoffs, some of which were sparked by events that actually happened seasons ago. Without posting any potential spoilers, one potent such example comes courtesy of Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), whose late season showdown with Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) is the culmination of several years of plot mechanics.

Despite a perhaps overly languid approach to at least some individual plot arcs, something that almost feels like the show’s writing team was stalling in the hopes that Martin might provide more material, several characters’ stories build to significant climaxes by the time the season comes to yet another corpse strewn ending. A lot of newsprint and/or bandwidth has been devoted to one especially shocking set of developments surrounding Sansa (Sophie Turner), including an extremely disturbing attack that may provide the series with some “consequences” going forward. But the whole Sansa subplot reveals one of this season’s recurring gambits which may not be as artfully handled as it might have been, namely the good old “damsel in distress” trope. Sansa’s own predicament late in the season serves as a salient example, but there’s another one that occurs even later than that with regard to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), who finds herself surrounded in an almost literal cliffhanger toward the end of the season. It’s arguable that the show tends to go to this well too often, and in too facile a manner, to sufficiently develop actual dramatic veracity. To put it simply, things simply seem too contrived at times.

There’s also a certain predictability to at least some elements of the “detour” to Dorne which provides recurrent content throughout the season. While often nicely scenic, an element which provides the series a break from its otherwise fairly dank slate gray and blue colored wintry ambience, some of the interactions, specifically those between Jaime and Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), can feel like a series of plot points is being ticked off in anticipation of some other development coming down the pike in the future. The whole Sand Snakes issue (not to be confused with an element in another sprawling adaptation of a literary monolith, Dune) seems overheated at times and probably doesn’t provide enough punch (no pun intended) to warrant its build up.

A couple of late elisions seem to hint at some more major characters shuffling off this mortal coil, sometimes in rather horrifying ways, but the fact that overt visual “proof” isn’t offered may hint at some surprises in store for the show’s sixth season. A few narrative stumbles and a reliance on what has become an almost impossibly overstuffed roster of characters makes this season just a tad more uneven than previous years, but perhaps that slightly askew tendency only reinforces one of the central messages of this vastly entertaining, even enthralling, show: never get too comfortable.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of HBO with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Shot digitally with the Arri Alexa, the series displays both the benefits and occasional deficits of the digital technology, though taken as a whole, this fifth "at bat" is often quite sumptuously stunning. Both the slate gray to cobalt blue color grading that has become one of Game of Thrones' stylistic stocks in trade is once again highly in evidence, a choice that still provides sometimes surprising level of details but which can occasionally tend to give blacks a milky purplish tint which perhaps works against solid contrast at times. The warmer hues which are part of the Dorne set scenes offer the palette a chance to exploit more natural tones, and the sun drenched climate allows for some gorgeous shots of foliage and water. There are occasional slight occurrences of noise cropping up, especially in the dimmer blue tinged sequences, where the darkness and lack of shadow detail actually help to mask the phenomenon. Despite some rather aggressive color grading throughout the series, though, Game of Thrones still attains a consistently lustrous and cinematic look, one which is offered here in a largely satisfying rendition.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season advertises itself as the first television show to offer Dolby Atmos audio, and with my new gear upgrade in preparation for our 4K UHD reviews, I'm finally able to enjoy the show with this newer audio codec. (Note to audiophiles: HBO has authored its discs to default to the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track, so even if you don't yet have Atmos capability, make sure to at least select the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core track.) As has been the series' tradition from the get go, the soundtrack is stuffed to the gills with a complex tapestry of sound effects, and the Atmos additions are often quite forceful. Perhaps somewhat humorously, one of the more regular "object placements" in the Atmos iteration is the loud clank of metal prison doors slamming shut in several episodes. But other nice uses of overhead placement are also in evidence (listen for example in the last episode when Podrick Payne spies an oncoming battalion down in a valley from his perch on a hillside and the voices of the horde clearly waft through the air). The series' often gruesome battle sequences (whether between individuals or entire armies) offer regular engagement of the surround channels, often with a swirling whirlwind of effects zinging through the side channels especially. Dialogue and the series' now iconic score are both presented with excellent fidelity. Overall dynamic range is extremely wide and helps to keep the sonic topography extremely varied.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• In Episode Guides


• Audio Commentaries:

  Episode 1 The Wars to Come with Director Michael Slovis, Director of Photography Dave Franco and Ciarán Hinds (Mance Rayder)

  
  

  Episode 2 The House of Black and White with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) and Daniel Portman (Podrick Payne)

Disc Two

• In Episode Guides


• Audio Commentaries:

  Episode 3 High Sparrow with Production designer Deborah Riley, Costume Designer Michele Clapton, and Director of Photography Anette Haellmigk

  
  

  Episode 4 Sons of the Harpy with Director Mark Mylod, Writer Dave Hill, Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen Baratheon)

  
  

  Episode 5 Kill the Boy with Director Jeremy Podeswa, Director of Photography Greg Middleton, Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) and Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton)

Disc Three

• In Episode Guides


• Audio Commentaries:

  Episode 6 Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken with Writer Bryan Cogman, Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar)

  
  

  Note: There is no commentary on the seventh episode.

  
  

  Episode 8 Hardhome features three commentaries:

  1. Director Miguel Sapochnik, Stunt Coordinator Rowley Irlam, Kit Harington (Jon Snow), and Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane)

  2. Visual Effects Producer Steve Kullback, Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Bauer, and Producer Chris Newman

  3. Director of Photography Fabian Wagner and Camera Operators Sean Savage and David Morgan

Disc Four

• In Episode Guides


• Audio Commentaries:

  Episode 9 The Dance of Dragons features two commentaries:

  1. Director David Nutter, Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont)

  2. Executive producer Bernadette Caulfield, Director of Photography Rob McLachlan, and Camera Operators Ben Wilson and David Worley

Episode 10 Mother's Mercy with Executive Producers/Writers David Benioff and D.B Weiss, Director David Nutter, and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)

• A Day in the Life (1080p; 26:01) is an interesting promotional featurette which aired on HBO and which includes some fun behind the scenes footage and interviews.


• New Characters/New Stories (1080p; 7:41) focuses on the ever expanding cast list of the series.


• Anatomy of an Episode: Mother's Mercy (1080p; 29:33) is a spoiler filled overview of the season's finale.


• The Real History Behind Game of Thrones features some interviews with George R.R. Martin:

  Part One (1080p; 18:13)

  Part Two (1080p; 22:00)

• Histories and Lore offer what are basically narrated animated tours through the following subjects:

  The Seven Pointed Star (1080p; 3:26)

  The Faith Militant (1080p; 5:05)

  Volantis (1080p; 4:18)

  Braavos (1080p; 5:35)

  The Faceless Men (1080p; 2:17)

  Winterfell (1080p; 2:36)

  The Lord Commanders (1080p; 3:23)

• The Dance of Dragons (1080p; 20:27) is another piece focusing on one corner of the franchise's expansive mythology.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 7:59)

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is simply so many simultaneous plots going on and so many characters interwoven into this season that it's frankly impossible to write about all of them in a relatively brief review. (I'm sure there will be a number of readers who have seen the fifth season who will be wondering, "Why didn't he mention [fill in the blank]?") That turns out to be a challenge not just for those who write about shows, but for those who are simply trying to wend their through an increasingly dense narrative. Parts of this fifth season seem at least a trifle overwrought, and a few recurrent issues with contrivances tend not to resonate very well. But Game of Thrones is still so consistently amazing that it seems at least a little curmudgeonly to niggle too much about passing qualms when the general impact of the series is so obviously intact and impressive. As with previous seasons, technical merits are first rate and the supplementary package quite abundant. Highly recommended.